Early Chola Temples
by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam | 1960 | 105,501 words
This volume of Chola Temples covers Parantaka I to Rajaraja I in the timeframe A.D. 907-985. The Cholas of Southern India left a remarkable stamp in the history of Indian architecture and sculpture. Besides that, the Chola dynasty was a successful ruling dynasty even conquering overseas regions....
Temples in Erumbur (28th year)
Erumbur lies 14 miles (22.5 km.) from Chidambaram on the road to Vriddhachalam. It has a small but a very important dated temple of Parantaka I’s days of more than common interest. This stone temple was completed in the 28th year of Parantaka I.
This is an eka-tala karrali. The original temple should have included the garbhagriha, the ardhamandapa, the eight sub-shrines for the Parivara-devatas, the madil and the gopura too perhaps. The subshrines are now not in existence. Perhaps, the image of Bhairavar now lying in the mukhamandapa was a deity of the subshrine. The devakoshtas have Dakshinamurti, Arunachalesvara (Siva as Mahayogi before Kama-dahanam) and Brahma. These niche-images are of exquisite workmanship and should be included among the finest specimens of early Chola art of Parantaka I’s age. What is specially significant and noteworthy about them is that they could be definitely dated a.d. 935 (Pis. 71-76).